i88 VARRO ON FARMING [bk. 



straight and short rather than long, the knees 

 somewhat prominent with a good distance between 

 them, the feet narrow, and not spreading out as the 

 animal walks, the cleft in the hoof not wide, and 

 the two toes smooth and even. The skin must not 

 be harsh or hard to the touch. The best colour ^ is 

 black, then red, then dun, then white — for oxen of 

 the last colour are the most delicate, as those of the 

 9 first mentioned are the hardiest. Of the two middle '^ 

 colours the first is more common than the second, 

 both of them than either black or white. 



The males as well ought to be (i) of a good 



^ Colore potissimum. Columella (vi, i, i) mentions the diflR- 

 culty of laying down rules for the buying of cattle owing to 

 the great number of breeds to be found, each of which has its 

 own excellence — e.g.^ the Asiatic, Gallic, Epirot, and Italian 

 kinds. And the Italian kinds differ greatly. The Campanian 

 ox is small and white, that of Umbria white and of huge size. 

 There are also red Umbrians which are as good-tempered as 

 they are big-bodied. The Etrurian and Latian oxen are close- 

 knit but strong ; those bred on the Apennines are the hardiest 

 of all, will indeed stand any amount of hardship, but are ugly 

 to look at. 



■ De mediis duobus. Keil expunges the in eo prior of the 

 MSS. 



Zahlfeldt (Qu. Crit. in Varr., R.R., 32) conjectures crehrior, 

 which seems satisfactory. Something of the kind is needed, 

 else the construction is harsh even for Varro. 



In the Geoponica (Joe. cit.) the best colours are thought to 

 be the various shades of red {tclq toXq xP'^I^^^'- KavOil^ovaag) ; 

 cows with black legs are highly thought of (to. cksXt] fikXava 

 EXovo-ac). Pliny (viii, 48) says that both black and white oxen 

 are bad workers. 



